George Washington - Facts, Presidency and Quotes (2023)

Wer guerra George Washington?

George Washington was a Virginia plantation owner who served as general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War and later became the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797.

Early life and family

Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest of six children born to Agustín and María, all of whom survived to adulthood.

The family lived in Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. They were moderately wealthy members of Virginia's "middle class."

Washington was able to trace his family's presence in North America back to his great-grandfather, John Washington, who immigrated to Virginia from England. The family had some honor in England and received land fromHenry VIII.

But much of the family's fortune in England was lost under thePuritansgovernment ofOliver Cromwell. In 1657, Washington's grandfather, Lawrence Washington, immigrated to Virginia. Little information is available about the family in North America until the birth of Washington's father Augustine in 1694.

Augustine Washington was an ambitious man who acquired land and enslaved people, built factories, and grew tobacco. For a time he was interested in opening iron mines. He married his first wife, Jane Butler, and they had three children. Jane died in 1729, and Augustine married Mary Ball in 1731.

Monte Vernon

In 1735, Augustine moved the Potomac River family to another family home in Washington, Little Hunting Creek Plantation, later renamedMonte Vernon.

They moved again in 1738 to Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg, Virginia, where Washington spent much of his youth.

childhood and education

Little is known about Washington's childhood, fueling many of the fables that later biographers concocted to fill the void. Among them are stories that Washington threw a silver dollar into the Potomac and, after cutting down his father's prized cherry tree, openly confessed to the crime.

Washington is known to have been educated at home from the age of seven to 15, studying practical mathematics, geography, Latin, and the English classics with the local church sacristan and later with a teacher.

But much of the knowledge that he would use for the rest of his life came from living with the loggers and the plantation foreman. In his youth, he mastered the cultivation, storage and raising of tobacco.

Washington's father died when he was 11, and he was raised by his half-brother Lawrence, who gave him a good education. Lawrence inherited the family's Little Hunting Creek plantation and married Anne Fairfax, daughter of Colonel William Fairfax, patriarch of the wealthy Fairfax family. Under his tutelage, Washington was educated in the finer aspects of colonial culture.

In 1748, when he was 16 years old, Washington traveled with a team of surveyors to plan land in the West Virginia Territory. The following year, with the support of Lord Fairfax, Washington was made the official surveyor of Culpeper County.

For two years he was very busy surveying land in Culpeper, Frederick and Augusta counties. His experience made him resourceful and strengthened his body and mind. He also aroused his interest in Western land ownership, an interest he continued throughout his life with speculative land purchases and the belief that the nation's future lay in Western colonization.

In July 1752, Washington's brother Lawrence died of tuberculosis, making him heir apparent to Washington's lands. Lawrence's only daughter, Sarah, died two months later, and Washington became head of one of Virginia's most important estates, Mount Vernon. He was 20 years old.

All his life he considered farming one of the most honorable professions and was very proud of Mount Vernon. Washington would gradually increase his land holding to about 8,000 acres

pre-revolutionary military career

In the early 1750s, France and Great Britain were at peace. However, the French army began to occupy much of the Ohio Valley to protect the king's territorial interests, primarily fur trappers and French settlers. But the borders of this area were unclear and prone to disputes between the two countries.

Washington showed the first signs of natural leadership, and shortly after Lawrence's death, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie appointed Washington's aide-de-camp with the rank of major in the Virginia militia.

French-Indian War

On October 31, 1753, Dinwiddie sent Washington to Fort LeBoeuf in present-day Waterford, Pennsylvania, to warn the French to withdraw from lands claimed by Britain. The French politely refused, and Washington returned to Williamsburg, the colonial capital of Virginia.

Dinwiddie sent Washington back with troops, and they established a post at Great Meadows. Washington's small force attacked a French post at Fort Duquesne, killing Commander Coulon de Jumonville and nine others and capturing the rest. EITHERFrench-Indian Warhad started.

The French attacked, driving Washington and his men back to their post at Great Meadows (later called "Fort Necessity"). Ohio River.

Although somewhat embarrassed at being captured, he was grateful to receive the thanks of the House of Burgesses and to see his name mentioned in the London Gazettes.

Washington was given the honorary rank of colonel and joined British General Edward Braddock's army in Virginia in 1755. The British devised a plan for a three-pronged attack on French forces, who were to attack Fort Duquesne, Fort Niagara, and Crown Point.

During the encounter, the French and their Indian allies ambushed Braddock, who was mortally wounded. Washington escaped wounds with four bullet holes in his cloak and two horses that escaped from under him. Although he fought valiantly, he could do little to avoid defeat and lead the defeated army to safety.

Virginia Troop Commander

In August 1755, at the age of 23, Washington was appointed commander of all the Virginia troops. He was sent to the frontier to patrol and protect almost 400 miles of the border with some 700 undisciplined colonial troops and a reluctant Virginia colonial legislature to support him.

It was a frustrating task. In the last months of 1757 his health deteriorated and he was sent home with dysentery.

In 1758 Washington returned to duty with another expedition to capture Fort Duquesne. A friendly fire incident followed, killing 14 of Washington's men and wounding 26. However, the British won a major victory by capturing Fort Duquesne and holding the Ohio Valley.

Washington withdrew from his Virginia regiment in December 1758. His wartime experiences were generally disappointing, with major decisions taken slowly, little support from colonial legislation, and poorly trained recruits.

Washington applied for a commission in the British Army, but was turned down. In 1758 he resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon disillusioned. That same year, he entered politics and was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

Marta Washington

Within a month of leaving the army, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow a few months his senior. Martha brought a considerable fortune to the marriage: an 18,000-acre estate, of which Washington personally purchased 6,000 acres.

With that and the land granted to him for military service, Washington became one of the wealthiest landowners in Virginia. The marriage also brought with them Martha's two young children, John (Jacky) and Martha (Patsy), ages six and four respectively.

Washington showed great affection and was heartbroken when Patsy died shortly before the revolution. Jacky died during the revolution and Washington adopted two of his children.

enslaved people

From his retirement from the Virginia Militia until the start of the Revolution, Washington dedicated himself to the care and development of his estates, rotating crops, managing livestock, and keeping up with the latest scientific advances.

In the 1790s, Washington held more than 300 people enslaved at Mount Vernon. It has been said that he dislikes the institution ofslavery, but accepted the fact that it was great.

Washington made his discontent with slavery clear in his will when he ordered the release of all his slaves after the death of his wife, Martha. (However, this act of generosity applied to less than half of Mount Vernon's enslaved population: these enslaved individuals, who belonged to the Custis family, were given to Martha's grandchildren after her death.)

Washington loved the life of the nobility with horsemanship, fox hunting, fishing, and cotillions. He worked six days a week, often taking off his coat and doing menial jobs with his workers. He was an innovative and responsible landowner, raising cattle and horses and tending his orchards.

Teeth

Much has been said about Washington wearing false teeth or dentures for most of his adult life. In fact, toothache, gum pain, and various dental problems are frequently mentioned in Washington correspondence with friends and family.

Washington had a tooth extracted when he was just 24 years old, and at the time of his inauguration in 1789, he had only one natural tooth remaining. But his false teeth were not made of wood, as some legends suggest.

Instead, Washington's false teeth were made from human teeth, including teeth from enslaved humans and his own extracted teeth, ivory, animal teeth, and various metals.

According to some historians, Washington's dental problems likely affected the shape of his face and may have contributed to his calm and somber demeanor: during the constitutional convention, Washington addressed the assembled dignitaries only once.

american revolution

Although the British Proclamation Act of 1763, which prohibited settlement beyond the Alleghenies, angered Washington and he opposed it.Stamp ActIn 1765, until widespread British protest, he did not take a leading role in the growing colonial resistance to the British.Leis de Townshend1767.

His letters from this period show that he was strongly opposed to the colonies' declaration of independence. In 1767, however, he did not oppose what he believed to be fundamental violations of English rights by the Crown.

In 1769, Washington introduced a resolution to the Burgess House urging Virginia to boycott British products until the laws were repealed.

After passing fromcompulsionsIn 1774, Washington presided over a meeting at which the Fairfax Resolutions were passed and called for the convocation of thecontinental congressand the use of armed resistance as a last resort. In March 1775 he was elected a delegate to the First Continental Congress.

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

AfterBattles of Lexington and ConcordIn April 1775, political disputes between Great Britain and its North American colonies escalated into armed conflict. In May, Washington traveled to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in military uniform, indicating that he was prepared for war.

On June 15 he was appointed Major General and Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial Forces against Great Britain. As was his custom, he did not run for commander, but he faced no serious competition.

Washington was the best choice for several reasons: He had the prestige, military experience, and charisma for the job, and he had been advising Congress for months.

Another factor was political: the revolution had begun in New England and, at the time, they were the only colonies directly feeling the brunt of British tyranny. Virginia was the largest British colony, and New England needed southern colonial support.

Political considerations and personal strength aside, Washington was not necessarily qualified to wage war against the world's most powerful nation. Washington's training and experience was primarily in border warfare, which involved small numbers of troops. He was not trained in the open combat style practiced by commanding British generals.

He also had no practical experience maneuvering large infantry formations, commanding cavalry or artillery, or keeping supplies flowing for thousands of men in the field. But he was brave, determined and smart enough to stay one step ahead of the enemy.

Washington and his small army demonstrated victory in early March 1776, placing artillery on Dorchester Heights above Boston, forcing the British to withdraw. Washington then moved his troops to New York City. But in June a new British commander, SirGuillermo Howe, arrived in the colonies with the largest expeditionary force Britain had ever fielded.

Crossing the Delaware

In August 1776, the British army launched an attack and quickly took New York City in the biggest battle of the war. Washington's army was defeated and suffered the surrender of 2,800 men.

He ordered the remnants of his army to withdraw across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Confident that the war would be over in a few months, General Howe wintered his troops in Trenton and Princeton, leaving Washington free to attack whenever and wherever he wanted.

On Christmas night 1776, Washington and his men returned across the Delaware River and attacked the unsuspecting Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, forcing them to surrender. A few days later, Washington attacked the British again, this time at Princeton, inflicting a humiliating loss by escaping a force sent to crush his army.

wins and losses

General Howe's strategy was to seize the colonial cities and prevent rebellion in the main economic and political centers. He never gave up the belief that once the Americans were stripped of their great cities, the rebellion would die down.

In the summer of 1777 he launched an offensive against Philadelphia. Washington moved his army to defend the city, but was defeated.Battle of Brandywine. Philadelphia fell two weeks later.

In the late summer of 1777, the British Army, commanded by John Burgoyne, sent a large force south from Quebec to Saratoga, New York, to split the rebellion between New England and the southern colonies. But the strategy failed when Burgoyne was captured by American armies led by Horatio Gates andbenedict arnoldNoBattle of Saratoga.

Without the support of Howe, who was unable to catch up with him in time, Burgoyne was forced to abandon his entire army of 6,200. The victory was a major turning point in the war, as it encouraged France to openly ally with the American cause of the independence.

In all this, Washington discovered an important lesson: the political nature of the war was as important as the military. Washington was beginning to understand that military victories were just as important as keeping the resistance alive.

The Americans began to believe that they could achieve their goal of independence without defeating the British Army. Meanwhile, the British General Howe maintained the strategy of seizing colonial cities in the hope of putting down the rebellion.

Little did Howe know that conquering cities like Philadelphia and New York would not overthrow colonial power. Congress would pack up and meet elsewhere.

ok forge

The darkest time for Washington and the Continental Army was the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The 11,000-man force went into winter quarters and suffered thousands of deaths, mostly from disease, over the next six months. But the army came out of the winter unscathed and in relatively good condition.

Realizing that their strategy of taking colonial cities had failed, the British command replaced General Howe with Sir Henry Clinton. The British Army evacuated Philadelphia to return to New York City. Landing several swift blows at the moving army, Washington and his men attacked the British flank near Monmouth Court. Although it was a tactical stalemate, the encounter demonstrated that Washington's army was capable of pitched battles.

For the remainder of the war, Washington was content to confine the British to New York, though he never quite gave up the idea of ​​retaking the city. The alliance with France brought a large French army and a naval fleet.

Washington and their French counterparts decided to leave Clinton alone and attack the British general.Carlos Cornwallisin Yorktown, Va. Cornwallis faced the combined French and colonial armies and the French fleet of 29 warships in the rear and held out for as long as he could, but on October 19, 1781 he surrendered his forces.

Victory in the War of Independence

Little did Washington know that victory at Yorktown would end the war.

The British still had 26,000 troops occupying New York City, Charleston, and Savannah, as well as a large fleet of warships in the colonies. By 1782, the French army and navy had withdrawn, the continental treasury had been depleted, and most of its soldiers had not been paid for several years.

A near mutiny was averted when Washington convinced Congress in March 1783 to give the soldiers a five-year bonus. By November of that year, the British had evacuated New York City and other cities, and the war was virtually over.

The Americans had won their independence. Washington formally took leave of his troops, and on December 23, 1783, he resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and returned to Mount Vernon.

For four years, Washington tried to fulfill his dream of resuming his life as a gentleman farmer and giving his much-neglected Mount Vernon plantation the care and attention it deserved.

The war was costly to the Washington family, as land was neglected, goods were not exported, and paper money was devalued. But Washington was able to repair his fortune and become profitable again with a generous land grant from Congress for his military service.

constituent Assembly

In 1787, Washington was again called to his country's duty. Since independence, the young republic has struggled under theArticles of Confederation, a governmental structure that centralizes power among states.

But the states were not uniform. They fought each other over borders and navigation rights and refused to help pay off the country's war debts. In some cases, state legislatures have imposed tyrannical tax policies on their own citizens.

Washington was deeply shocked by the situation, but was slow to recognize that something had to be done about it. He perhaps wasn't sure if the time, right after the revolution, was ripe to make major changes to the democratic experiment. Or perhaps because he expected not to be called to serve, he remained elusive.

ButShay's RebellionExploding in Massachusetts, Washington knew that something had to be done to improve the governance of the country. In 1786, Congress approved a convention to be held in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation.

Noconstituent AssemblyWashington was unanimously elected president. Washington,james madisonmiAlejandro Hamiltonhe had concluded that what was needed were not changes but a new constitution that would give more authority to the national government.

In the end, the convention produced a government plan that would not only address the country's current problems, but would also stand the test of time. After the conclusion of the convention, Washington's reputation and support for the new government were essential to the United States' ratification of the new treaty.Constitution.

The opposition was strident, if disorganized, with many of America's leading political figures includingpatrick heinrichmisam adams— Condemnation of the proposed government as a takeover. Even in Virginia, Washington's homeland, the constitution was ratified by a single vote.

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George Washington: Presidencia

Still hoping to retire to his beloved Mount Vernon, Washington was once again called to serve that country.

During the 1789 presidential election, he received one vote from all electoral college voters, the only president in US history to be elected unanimously. He was sworn in at Federal Hall in New York City, the capital of the United States at the time.

As the first president, Washington knew that his presidency would set a precedent for all that followed. He carefully attended to the responsibilities and duties of his office, being careful not to imitate any European royal court. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President" to the more imposing names that were suggested.

He initially turned down the $25,000 salary offered by Congress for the post of president because he was already wealthy and wanted to protect his image as a selfless public servant. However, Congress persuaded him to accept the severance so as not to create the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president.

Washington proved to be a capable administrator. He surrounded himself with some of the brightest people in the country and made Hamilton Secretary of the Treasury.Thomas Jeffersonas Secretary of State. He delegated authority carefully and consulted regularly with his cabinet and listened to his advice before making a decision.

Washington established broad presidential authority, but always with the utmost integrity, and exercised its power sparingly and honestly. In doing so, he set a standard rarely achieved by his successors, but one that established an ideal by which all are measured.

READ MORE: How George Washington's personal and physical attributes helped him win the presidency

achievements

During his first term, Washington approved a series of measures proposed by Treasury Secretary Hamilton to reduce the country's debt and put its finances on solid footing.

His administration also signed several peace treaties with Native American tribes and passed a bill establishing the nation's capital in a permanent district along the Potomac River.

whiskey rebellion

Then, in 1791, Washington signed a law authorizing Congress to impose a tax on alcoholic beverages, sparking protests in rural Pennsylvania.

The protests quickly escalated into a full-scale defiance of a federal law known aswhiskey rebellion. Washington invoked the Militia Act of 1792 and called in local militias from several states to put down the rebellion.

Washington personally took charge, bringing troops into areas of rebellion and showing that the federal government would use force to enforce the law if necessary. This was also the only time a sitting US President led troops into battle.

Jay's contract

On foreign policy, Washington moved cautiously, aware that the young and fragile nation could not succumb to the political intrigues of Europe. In 1793, France and Great Britain were again at war.

At Hamilton's insistence, Washington disregarded the US-French alliance and pursued a course of neutrality. In 1794 he sentJuan Jayto Britain to negotiate a treaty (known as the "Jay Treaty") to secure peace with Britain and resolve some issues left over from the Revolutionary War.

The action angered Jefferson, who supported the French and felt that the United States needed to meet its treaty obligations. Washington succeeded in mobilizing public support for the treaty, which proved crucial for Senate ratification.

Although controversial, the treaty proved beneficial to the United States, removing British forts along the western border, establishing a clear border between Canada and the United States, and most importantly, delaying a war with Great Britain. and enabled more than a decade of prosperous trade. and trade. development that the young country so badly needed.

Political parties

During his two terms as president, Washington was appalled by the growing partisanship within the government and the nation. The powers given to the federal government by the constitution made important decisions, and the people came together to influence those decisions. The formation of political parties was initially influenced more by personality than by issues.

As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton promoted a strong national government and an economy based on industry. Secretary of State Jefferson wanted to keep government small and concentrate power more locally, where citizens' liberties could be better protected. He envisioned an economy based on agriculture.

Those who followed Hamilton's views adopted the name Federalists, and people who opposed these ideas and leaned more towards Jefferson's views began to be called Democratic Republicans. Washington despised political partisanship and believed that ideological differences should never be institutionalized. He strongly believed that political leaders should be free to discuss important issues without being bound by party loyalty.

However, there was little Washington could do to stop the development of political parties. The ideals espoused by Hamilton and Jefferson led to a two-party system that proved extremely durable. These opposing views represented a continuation of the debate over the proper role of government, a debate that began with the writing of the Constitution and continues today.

The Washington administration was not without its critics, who questioned what they viewed as extravagant conventions in the president's office. During his two terms, Washington rented the best houses available and was driven in a four-horse carriage with scouts and footmen in splendid uniforms.

After being inundated with calls, he announced that he would only see people by appointment, with the exception of the scheduled weekly reception, which is open to all. Washington received generously, but by invitation only, at private dinners and receptions. Some accused him of behaving like a king.

However, he was always aware that his presidency would set the precedent for those who followed him, but he was careful to avoid the pitfalls of a monarchy. At public ceremonies he did not appear in military uniform or royal regalia. Instead, he wore a black velvet suit with gold buckles and powdered hair, as was the norm. His reserved demeanor arose from innate reserve rather than an exaggerated sense of dignity.

Retirement

Wanting to return to Mount Vernon and its farming, and feeling that his physical strength was waning with age, Washington refused to bow to pressure to serve a third term, even though he was unlikely to have faced opposition.

In doing so, he again became aware of the precedent of being the "first president" and opted for a peaceful change of government.

farewell speech

In the final months of his presidency, Washington felt that he needed to give his country one last measure of itself. With Hamilton's help, he wrote his farewell address to the American people, urging his fellow citizens to value the Union and avoid partisanship and long-standing foreign alliances.

In March 1797 he handed over the government to John Adams and returned to Mount Vernon, determined to spend his last years as a humble farmer. His final act was to forgive the participants in the Whiskey Rebellion.

When Washington returned to Mount Vernon in the spring of 1797, he felt a reflective sense of relief and accomplishment. He had left the government in capable hands, at peace, managing his debt well and setting out on a prosperous course.

Much of his time was spent taking care of the operations and management of the farm. Although he was considered wealthy, his land holdings were only marginally profitable.

tod

On a cold December day in 1799, Washington spent much of his time inspecting the farm on horseback during a violent snowstorm. When he returned home, he hurriedly ate dinner in wet clothes and then went to bed.

The next morning, December 13, he woke up with a severe sore throat and an increasingly hoarse voice. He went to bed early but woke up around 3 am and told Martha that he was feeling very bad. The illness progressed until he died late on the night of December 14, 1799.

The news of Washington's death at the age of 67 spread across the country and plunged the nation into profound sadness. Many cities and towns held mock funerals and posted hundreds of obituaries to honor their fallen heroes. When the news of his death reached Europe, the British fleet paid homage to his memory and Napoleon ordered a ten-day mourning.

legacy

Washington could have been a king. Instead, he chose to become a citizen. He set many precedents for the national government and the presidency: the two-term limit, broken only onceFranklin D. Roosevelt, was later incorporated into the 22nd Amendment.

It crystallized the power of the presidency as part of the government.three branches of government, able to exercise authority when necessary, but also to accept itseparation of powersthe power inherent in the system.

He was considered not only as a military and revolutionary hero, but also as a man of great personal integrity, with a deep sense of duty, honor and patriotism. For more than 200 years, Washington was considered essential to the success of the revolution and the birth of the nation.

But his most important legacy may be his insistence that he was expendable, claiming that the cause of freedom was bigger than any individual.

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